The Hawaiian gazette., 1887-12-13

EARLY in the present session the
GAZETTE, being the first journal to do
so, advanced the opinion that it would
be expedient and proper for. the Leg
islature to despatch only the special
business for which it was primarily
convened To some extent this view
has been carried out, many measures
and petitions having been laid over
till the regular session in May.
1t must be admitted, however, that
a good deal of business not absolutely
emergent to the occasion has been
pressed forward to completion. The
question arises as to whether all this
fresh Legislation has been effected I'M
advisedly Our evening contempt
rary seems to think so, but we think
it takes a one-sided view of the ques-
ton. 1t says that ten OF twelve days
should have sufficed for the necessary
work of the session. Had our con
temporary looked at the matter in an
other light it might Lave added ten
or twelve days more to the limit.
Some of the special business of the
session the most important part
thereof been before the Legisla-
ture in different phases almost since
the opening day, each succeeding oc-
casion coming up irradiated with
new glimmer of light and marked
with fresh apertures for the admis-
sion of the air of healthy discussion.
This illumination and ventilation were
due to the patient investigation of
committees, through processes that
required time for their proper
operation. Had the Legislature
adopted our advice too strictly,
it would have had to rush through
matters of weighty import without
sufficient investigation, OF make fire.
quent adjournments to allow commit
tees to pursue their work with neces-
sary elaboration. While these prin-
cipal measures were being thus ex
posed to the most careful delibera-
ton, there is no good reason why
other useful legislation should not
have been performed Again, the
continuance of the session has stimu-
lated enquiry into many subjects
of past administration and prospec-
tive policy which could not to the
advantage of the public have been
deferred to the regular session. In
deed, the Legislature deserve great
praise for having elected information
from the Ministers on matters of the
greatest moment, some of them be-
longing to the past regime. Other
wise, these things might have re-
NAMED hidden, even from the Minis
tiers themselves, whom present con-
Germs may well engage sufficiently to
preclude their going very deep into
all the tones of their predecessors
record.
But, to go back to the beginning,
has the session been unduly lengthy?
We deny that it has. On the CON
trary it has not yet exceeded the
moderate estimate of one month or
SIX weeks put forth in this paper, I'M
inspired if you please but yet
not criticized in any quarter so
far as known. The Bulletin be-
trays something akin to party feel
ing, moreover, when it insinuates the
cause of what it assumes to be an
unduly protracted session as being
the want of efficient directorship.
Now the fact is that the proceedings
OF the Legislature have gone along
with remarkable smoothness, as well
as concord between Ministers and
elective members, so that the lack of
professional political leaders has not
been seriously apparent. There has
Wlthal been presented spectacle of
Independence of voice and vote with
ont the ferceness of party warfare
which might be emulated with adj
vantage by Legislatures of much
larger countries where responsible
government has been in yopue for